10 Tips and Tricks for Managing Volunteers with HandsOn Connect

What is HandsOn Connect and How Does it Work With Salesforce?

HandsOn Connect is a powerful volunteer management solution designed to help nonprofits and volunteer-driven organizations run their programs more smoothly. Built on Salesforce, it combines the tools you need to manage volunteers with the reliability of a trusted CRM platform.

With HandsOn Connect, you can simplify key tasks like volunteer sign-ups, scheduling, and tracking hours. Volunteers enjoy a portal where they can find opportunities, view their schedules, and log their time while your team benefits from centralized data and insightful reports to enhance engagement and impact. 

By integrating with Salesforce, HandsOn Connect helps you save time and stay organized with features like automated emails, dashboards to track participation, and tools to measure impact. Whether you're managing a small team or scaling up your efforts, this solution empowers you to build stronger connections with volunteers and grow your program effectively.

Tips for Managing Volunteers Using Salesforce

1. Keep Track of Program With Live Updates and Insights

Godwin Ogbueze, Virtual Systems Manager of HandsOn Connect, suggests that volunteer leaders use Salesforce’s Reports and Dashboards to monitor key metrics like volunteer hours, retention rates, and event participation.

"These reports can be weekly, bi-weekly, annual, semi-annual," says Godwin. "HandsOn Connect then takes that information and creates the reports in Salesforce. In addition to that, HandsOn Connect can also create a dashboard that allows you to bring over key information so that it's easily accessible every time you log into Salesforce."

For example, you can visualize volunteer engagement with a dashboard that tracks hours logged each month or highlights your most active volunteers. This data not only helps you measure program success and communicate it with stakeholders, but it also allows you to identify trends and make informed decisions quickly.

2. Use Automations to Simplify Volunteer Onboarding

Volunteer leaders can simplify onboarding new volunteers within HandsOn Connect by using Salesforce automation tools, like Salesforce Flows.

With just a few steps, you can set up an automated system to send personalized welcome emails filled with essential training resources. This ensures every volunteer feels supported and ready to contribute from day one.

By streamlining these tasks, your team can save valuable time and focus on building strong relationships and making a bigger impact. It’s an easy way to stay organized, efficient, and professional while creating a great experience for your volunteers!

3. Take Advantage of Volunteer Self-Scheduling Tools

HandsOn Connect’s search and calendar functionality can allow volunteers to self-schedule for events.

Volunteers can view open shifts, register themselves, and receive automatic confirmations, ensuring that slots never get overbooked.

This not only gives volunteers the flexibility and autonomy to choose opportunities that fit their schedule but also simplifies the process for staff, saving time and reducing administrative hassles.

4. Create a Customized Volunteer Portal 

Via Salesforce, volunteer leaders can use HandsOn Connect to create a customized volunteer portal that showcases their organization’s branding and values.

With a mobile-friendly design, volunteers can log their hours, earn achievement badges, and discover opportunities tailored to their interests—all in one place.

The volunteer portal improves the volunteer experience while keeping your team engaged and motivated. By offering a seamless and personalized portal, you’ll strengthen connections with your volunteers, encouraging them to stay involved and inspired to support your mission.

5. Use the Partner Portal to Grow Community Partnerships

HandsOn Connect’s Partner Portal empowers external organizations to take charge of managing their own volunteer opportunities with ease, while easing the management burden on volunteer leaders.

Through the portal, external project managers can seamlessly view sign-ups, access detailed reports, and track the progress of their events—all in one place. This not only streamlines their workflow but also fosters stronger, more collaborative relationships with partner organizations.

By improving program efficiency and enhancing communication, the Partner Portal helps everyone work together more effectively to make a bigger impact.

6. Collect and Store Volunteer Credentials

A useful tip for leveraging Salesforce as a volunteer management tool is to explore its capabilities for gathering customized volunteer data.

"HandsOn Connect can limit who can come in to volunteer and guide them along a path. So we can start really tailoring the volunteer experience," says Jenne Secrest from HandsOn Connect. This can be incredibly useful for things like managing volunteer certifications. 

Using Salesforce's Standard and Custom Objects, volunteer leaders can track important data like surveys or certifications all in one platform. This streamlines data management, saves time, and ensures they have everything they need to effectively oversee volunteer activities and qualifications.

This not only centralizes critical data in one place but also makes it easier to monitor volunteer credentials, identify those who are not qualified for a role,  and use those insights to ensure compliance and enhance volunteer management.

7. Automate Administrative Tasks 

Salesforce can be a time-saver for volunteer managers, helping to automate repetitive administrative tasks and free up time for more meaningful work.

For example, you can set up a Salesforce Flow  to automatically send a reminder email 30 days before a volunteer’s background check expires. This not only ensures compliance but also reduces the amount of manual work involved in tracking certifications, sending follow-up emails, or reminding volunteers about upcoming events.

By streamlining these processes, volunteer managers can free up time and re-focus on building stronger relationships with their teams and creating impactful volunteer experiences.

8. Use Salesforce Apps to Manage Donors and Grants Alongside Volunteers 

Another tip to managing volunteers with Salesforce is to take advantage of the built-in apps.

"HandsOn Connect is built to work with Salesforce’s Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) to track donors, grants, and volunteer activity all in one place," explains Jenne. "This would allow the volunteer manager to see if someone who signs up is also a donor."

The benefit is that you can track how volunteer engagement impacts donor retention and engagement. By linking these metrics, you can showcase how your volunteer program increases bottom line impact.

This approach offers a holistic view of your reach and influence, empowering you to advocate for your program and make more informed decisions.

9. Build Consistent Communication Strategies With Campaigns 

Track key metrics like volunteer email open rates, event registrations, and responses to post-event surveys—all in one place. These insights empower you to refine your communication strategies, ensuring they’re targeted and data-driven.

For volunteer managers, this means stronger engagement with your volunteers, more effective outreach, and the ability to focus on what matters most: building meaningful connections and driving impact.

10. Scale Your Program With Flexible Modules 

 
If you want to  build stronger business partnerships while easily tracking employee contributions, Salesforce can help save you time and effort.

For instance, the Corporate Volunteering Module helps you build stronger business partnerships while easily tracking employee contributions, saving you time and effort.

HandsOn Connect offers specialized modules like Skills-Based Volunteering, Corporate Volunteering, and Volunteer Feed/Chat that can help simplify volunteer management.

You can adapt these features to meet your nonprofit’s needs, allowing you to scale and grow your programs seamlessly.

Explore HandsOn Connect Today 

From simplifying daily management tasks to scaling your volunteer programs, Salesforce and HandsOn Connect work together seamlessly to help you make the most of your volunteer management efforts.

Curious about how HandsOn Connect can support your goals?

Learn more or schedule a demo today!